Yes it’s the recession. Stating the obvious…

Recruiter, cvmail, has carried out an online survey of 900 graduates applying for training contracts. A significant proportion figure they will now have to work more than 50 hours per week as lawyers – 35% have had this insight. And another 15% think they will have to work more than 55 hours per week. Closer.

Apparently the expectation of such long hours has gone up with the recession. But 50 hours a week is hardly burning the midnight oil; it’s barely more than the 48 that Brussels advocates. Just how many hours would graduates have expected to work say, during the boom of 2006-07? That aside, are graduates really aware that hours in the office working are not the focus once billable hours are introduced. It would appear not. So here’s some helpful reading: The Truth About the Billable Hour.

Back to the survey.

The results also showed that 39% of law students have had to apply for jobs outside law; banking and finance are seen as the most popular alternatives. Then the public sector – clearly not many of them have been watching the news recently.

Interestingly, the most important factors for graduates in choice of firm were professional reputation and long-term training and career opportunities. Salary and size were way down the list of priorities. ‘Culture’ wasn’t mentioned.

Quite how graduates assess qualitative factors like professional reputation and long-term training and career opportunities is anyones’ guess. Presumably with the help of firms’ recruitment brochures.

Anyone else get the feeling that there’s a growing expectations gap for aspiring lawyers?